1. FRIDAY FEATURE: Festival of Lights illuminates the nation

Friday, December 30, 2005 |

Jews around the world continue to gather around their Hanukkiot this week to light candles in celebration of Hanukkah. This was the first time since 1959 that the first night of Hanukkah started on Christmas, Dec. 25. Hanukkah ends on Jan. 2.

PICTURE WINDOWS: Hundreds of Israelis and foreign tourists will visit Nahlaot during Hanukkah. Nahlaot is known for its picturesque narrow streets, open courtyards and many synagogues. It is here that residents light the hanukkiot and place them in small boxes outside their doors or front gates of their small, compacted homes. The bright lights draw many.

It was just more than 100 years ago that every inhabitant of Jerusalem lived inside the 16th century Ottoman wall of what today is known as the Old City. In the late 1800s, Jews began to move outside the walls. Nahlaot is one neighborhood founded during that time. Once divided into Ashkenazi and Sephardic quarters, Nahlaot is now diversely populated with young and old from all over the world.

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